---
Kasper smirked sarcastically at the man's words. He tilted his head slightly upward and fixed his gaze on the figure standing before him.
"You're ashamed of my actions?!" he scoffed. "Then what about you? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You're trying to kill chil—ugh—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp kick landed on his stomach, cutting him off.
"A coward like you, who ran from battle, has no right to lecture me on how to act!" the man sneered, his voice dripping with disgust as he continued to rain down kicks on Kasper.
Despite the excruciating pain, Kasper kept smirking, speaking between labored breaths.
"Ah… ngh… a coward? I wouldn't… call it that… Ahh… They told me to survive… hahaha… not to… fight… Nghh… On the battlefield, everyone gets a choice… ngh… fight to live… or run to live… And I—ahh—chose the latter… haaa… Dying in battle… isn't bravery… It's stupidity… hghhh…"
"Stupidity?! Stupidity?! Dying in battle is the greatest honor!" the man roared, his face twisted with rage.
A muffled laugh escaped from Kasper's lips as he saw the man's reaction. His laughter quickly devolved into groans of pain as his body trembled. Every inch of him ached, and he could feel his consciousness slipping away. He knew that the moment he blacked out, it would be over for him.
Desperate to stay awake, Kasper forced himself to keep talking.
"Honor… ha… I don't want that stupid honor if it means I—ugh—die…"
Another kick struck him, even harder this time, silencing him mid-sentence.
The man grabbed Kasper by the collar and lifted him effortlessly.
"You're pathetic," he spat.
Those were the last words Kasper heard before the man hurled him across the clearing. His body flew several meters before crashing into a tree, the force so great that it snapped the trunk in half.
"Ahhgh!"
A hoarse, almost inaudible cry escaped Kasper's lips as his back slammed against the splintered wood. The pain was indescribable. It felt as though every bone in his body had been shattered—whether from the relentless kicks or the impact with the tree.
Even his glasses were broken, the lenses cracked beyond repair.
"Tsk… I shouldn't have worn them," he muttered bitterly.
He didn't even know why this body needed glasses; his vision was perfectly clear without them. Yet he'd kept wearing them anyway. And now, they were useless.
Random, nonsensical thoughts filled his mind as he lay there in agony.
Through half-lidded eyes, Kasper caught sight of the man a few meters away. The figure in black drew a sword seemingly out of nowhere, his intentions crystal clear.
"A pathetic man like you doesn't deserve to live," the man declared coldly, unsheathing his weapon.
"Pft—Hahaha!"
A dry, broken laugh burst from Kasper's lips, echoing eerily in the quiet woods.
The man paused, frowning at the sight of the boy laughing hysterically, despite being on the verge of death.
Has he gone mad? That was the only thought in the man's mind as he watched Kasper's deranged laughter.
"Pathetic?" Kasper wheezed, his voice trembling.
"Yeah… I've always been pathetic. In my world… or this one… nothing's changed."
He laughed again, though his voice was faint and strained.
"So… if you're going to kill me… at least say something original, will you?"
Every breath he took felt like fire in his lungs, but Kasper kept laughing. His mind raced with thoughts, some coherent, others not.
"Man, you don't even need that sword… I'm dying anyway," he thought, leaning back against the broken remains of the tree.
"At least… I'll see you soon," he muttered to himself, his voice a whisper.
But no. He didn't want to see him—not like this. Or maybe he did. Yes, he wanted to see him desperately. But not in death.
"Not like this… you bastard," he mumbled, a bitter smile forming on his lips.
"I don't want to die… I want to live… to see him when he opens his eyes. To tell him how I spent ten years alone… waiting. How much I missed him."
Tears threatened to spill, but he blinked them away.
In that moment, a bright light struck his eyes, making him wince.
"Tch… Annoying. Let me die in peace, you stupid light," he grumbled.
But when he turned his head, his breath caught.
The light wasn't random—it was the sunlight reflecting off a silver bracelet on his wrist.
A faint smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as realization dawned.
"Could it be…?"
Desperation replaced his pain as he clenched and unclenched his left hand, whispering frantically.
"Come on… a sword… please, let there be a sword!"
He ignored the searing pain in his arm, muttering like a madman. And then, as if answering his plea, something cold and solid materialized in his palm.
A sword.
Relief washed over him as he stared at the weapon. He didn't know why, but holding the sword felt… right.
Maybe it was Kasper's lingering emotions—or perhaps it was his own—but he didn't care. The sword was his only chance, his only hope.
Clutching the blade tightly, Kasper forced himself to his feet. Every nerve in his body screamed in protest, but he refused to stop.
Adrenaline surged through him, dulling the pain. He felt alive, invigorated, despite the odds stacked against him.
"Ah, so the coward finally decides to fight?" the man mocked, smirking at Kasper's shaky stance.
Kasper took a deep breath, ignoring the taunt.
The wind rustled through his messy red hair as he steadied his grip on the sword. With a sharp exhale, he launched himself forward.
Kasper dashed forward, his movements were so fast they seemed impossible for an average person to follow. But of course, his opponent wasn't an ordinary person.
After all, the man was an Awakened of Rank E. Tracking Kasper's movements was child's play for him.
The man smirked arrogantly as he watched Kasper close the distance.
"In the moment you come near me, I'll slice you in half like butter," he thought confidently, gripping his sword tightly.
"!?..."
The man's eyes widened in sheer disbelief as Kasper seemed to vanish into thin air. A chill ran down his spine as he felt a cold breeze brush against the back of his neck.
And then it happened—a sharp, icy blade sliced cleanly across his throat, leaving no chance for him to react.
His vision turned upside down as his severed head hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Even in his final moments, disbelief was etched across his face. Before his sight faded entirely, the man's world grew hazy and dim.
Behind him stood a boy with crimson red hair that fluttered in the wind. His pale, bloodstained skin gleamed in the sunlight as he stared blankly at the corpse before him.
"H… How?"
Kasper's voice quivered as he muttered to himself.
What just happened? How did I disappear? How did I even manage to kill him?
He wanted to kill the man, yes, but he hadn't expected it to actually happen!
His mind was a whirlwind of confusion and fear. The sickening sensation of his blade slicing through flesh sent waves of horror crashing through him. The warm blood that had splattered across his face and clothes made his skin crawl.
This… this was terrifying.
That was the last coherent thought Kasper had before, without warning, a blunt force struck the back of his head. His world faded into black as he collapsed onto the ground.
---